Firefighters

Firefighters battled a house fire in the south end of town Monday night. The fire was reported at 68 Darby Street about 9:15 p.m., Fire Chief Art Gold of the Blue Hills Fire District told Fox CT. Flames were coming out of windows when firefighters arrived, he said. The fire burned for more than an hour. No injuries were reported; the house was vacant. Representatives of the state fire marshal's office will join local fire officials to assist with the investigation. The neighborhood is off Blue Hills Avenue, just north of the Hartford line.

HARTFORD — Fire damaged an already fire-damaged house at 197 Bond St. Monday afternoon. Firefighters were called to the house near Maple Avenue at 3:48 p.m. When they arrived, smoke was coming from all floors of the three-story home, fire officials said. Firefighters initially went into the building to battle the flames and search for occupants. No one was found, and firefighters withdrew to continue fighting the fire from outside, fire officials said. The house was vacant and there have been two previous fires there, officials said.

I have been noticing that there are a lot of fire stations around the state of Connecticut, many of which have property adjacent to them not serving any purpose. I would like to suggest that since firefighters are not always busy, that they could plant a garden. They could then donate a good protion of the crop to local food banks or soup kitchens in their respective towns. Joe Kovalcik, Meriden

Joseph Brunjes emerges from behind his 8-by-10 view camera, which despite its old timey appearance is a little more than a year old. "Now hold for five seconds," he tells his subject, squeezes a bulb that opens the shutter and counts. In the world of perfect, easy photos, smartphones and digital cameras are king, and if film is dying, tintypes are extinct. At least they would be without people like Brunjes. He's part artist, part chemist a man who prefers getting his hands a little dirty to editing photos on a computer.

Firefighters are on scene of a structure fire at 1024 Monroe Turnpike in Monroe. Emergency officials say the call came in at 6:30 AM and the fire is in a detached barn, which is believed to be used as a garage. Officials say the blaze is not yet under control. No injuries have been reported. Route 111 is closed between Hammertown and Wheeler roads.

By CHRISTINE DEMPSEY, cdempsey@courant.com and The Hartford Courant, July 7, 2011

Firefighters extinguished a house fire on Parker Road Thursday. No one was injured in the fire, which was reported at 5:14 a.m., an emergency dispatcher said. No one was in the house at 23 Parker Road at the time. Damage is not believed to be severe. Firefighters were able to quickly bring the fire under control. We tell you what's happening, when it happens, for FREE: Sign-up for Breaking News Mobile Subscribe to our Breaking News E-mails Try the News@3 Newsletter

By HILDA MUÃÆÃÆÃâÃâOZ and The Hartford Courant, October 20, 2010

Firefighters from Canton, Simsbury and Avon are working to extinguish a house fire on Gildersleeve Avenue. Deputy Police Chief Don Hull said authorities do not believe anyone was in the house and that so far no injuries have been reported. "As far as we know everyone is accounted for," Hull said. The fire was reported about 1:20 p.m. and shortly before 3 p.m. the house was engulfed in flames, Hull said. Check back for updates.

By CHRISTINE DEMPSEY, cdempsey@courant.com and The Hartford Courant, February 23, 2011

MADISON — Firefighters are at the scene of a basement fire in a local home. The fire was reported before 10 a.m. at 85 Winding Road. It wasn't clear if the fire had spread beyond the home's basement. Check back for more information. We tell you what's happening, when it happens, for FREE: Sign-up for Breaking News Mobile Subscribe to our Breaking News E-mails Try the News@3 Newsletter

By SAMAIA HERNANDEZ, smhernandez@courant.com and The Hartford Courant, February 9, 2012

Two firefighters were burned in a flashover, a sudden ignition of all combustible material in a room, while battling a residential fire on Thursday. The flashover occurred when firefighters entered 1643 East Main St., shortly after 3:11 p.m. The firefighters were taken to Bridgeport Hospital. Lt. Peter Morotto was treated for second-degree burns to his right shoulder and bicep. He was released Thursday, officials said. Firefighter Patrick Burlinson sustained burns on his left and right hands.

Two firefighters suffered injuries and were taken to the hospital after battling a structure fire on Old Colchester Road Extension, officials said. Fire officials who responded to 24 Old Colchester Road Extension around 6 p.m. said the fire appeared to be suspicious. The injured firefighters were taken to Backus Hospital in Norwich, but the extent of their injuries was unclear.

Town firefighters will show off their cooking skills Saturday during the first annual Chili Taste at the West Hartford Farmers Market. WEST HARTFORD — Town firefighters will show off their cooking skills Saturday during the first annual Chili Taste at the West Hartford Farmers Market. The chili is made from scratch by firefighters of Station 1 on Prospect Avenue using meat and vegetables from the farmer's market. Firefighters will be serving complimentary chili with cornbread.

PLAINVILLE - Police and firefighters called state environmental officials, and then the state police bomb squad, to Hardwood Road after a man gave his neighbor a bottle that contained an unknown substance. The man told his neighbor that what was in the bottle was for the police and that they'd know what to do with it, Plainville police Sgt. Richard Marques said Wednesday afternoon. The neighbor then called police. There were no direct threats, Marques said. Marques said police have had past dealings with the man and worked to find him as part of their investigation.

WEST HARTFORD — Police and firefighters carried an injured mountain biker out of the woods Monday morning after he crashed his bike and severely injured his knee. Police were called to the MDC's Reservoir No. 1 at 8:42 a.m. Firefighters and police were able to reach the man via Old Stone Crossing, which is off Albany Avenue. He was several hundred yards into the woods. Once out, the man was taken by ambulance to the University of Connecticut Health Center in Farmington for treatment.

NEW MILFORD — Firefighters extinguished a major condo fire Thursday. The fire at 466 Danbury Road was reported shortly before 10:15 a.m., an emergency dispatcher said. Eight condominiums were affected. It wasn't clear if anyone was injured. Fire officials were calling for help from area departments shortly before 11 a.m. The American Red Cross also responded to the scene and are assisting 11 people from six different families displaced because of the the fire. Courant Staff Writer Nicholas Rondinone contributed to this story.

BRIDGEPORT — Firefighters on Tuesday battled a three-alarm fire in the former Remington Arms factory. The fire was reported about 11:30 a.m. in the vacant structure near Barnum Avenue and Helen Street. Firefighters also answered a call at the same time to a fire a block away in the office section of the old factor. Although the fires remain under investigation, firefighters are treating them as suspicious, city spokesman Bill Kaempffer said. When they arrived, firefighters found heavy fire in the five-story brick building.

MANCHESTER — Fighters rescued a dog and a cat from a storm drain on Round Hill Road Tuesday evening. The rescue followed an hour-long search by the dog's owner, Mark Mishriky of nearby Ralph Road, along with his wife and child in one car and Mishriky's mother in a second car. Mishriky said the lab mix named Lilly ran from his house when he got home Tuesday evening. "I saw her book it out the door," he said. "She looked at me and took off. " He speculated that the dog, obtained from a rescue organization, has some greyhound in her because she is very fast.

BRISTOL - When city firefighters begin their annual fundraiser for muscular dystrophy research this weekend, they'll have a bit of extra motivation: The thought of 4-year-old Justin Bolduc. Justin, a Bristol boy who was diagnosed with muscular dystrophy two years ago, visited fire headquarters downtown on Tuesday with his mother, Sheri, and his older brother, Conner. Justin will be the "goodwill ambassador" for Bristol Firefighters Local 773's campaign for muscular dystrophy research, said Sean Lennon, a firefighter and union president.

MILFORD — Firefighters put out a house fire Saturday evening and rescued two dogs and a rabbit that were in the home, fire officials said. No humans were inside 208 Cedarhurst Lane when the blaze was reported around 5:37 p.m., according to a statement from Milford Fire Capt. Gregory Carman. Flames engulfed the second floor of the house when fire and rescue crews arrived. "One firefighter was evaluated for heat-related problems," Carman said, but there were no injuries. Milford's fire marshal is investigating.